Political appointee training bill goes to full House

The House Government Reform Committee voted Thursday to approve a bipartisan bill that would provide a formal orientation process for a president-elect's top appointees.

The committee accepted the version passed Tuesday by its Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology, and reported the bill [H.R. 3137] to the full House by voice vote.

The bill, which has four co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle, would help appointees avoid the types of "missteps and outright mistakes" that new presidential teams have made over the years, according to Rep. Steve Horn, R-Calif., chairman of the government management subcommittee.

"Sometimes, the errors tumble out in misstatements or ill-advised recommendations," Horn said when his panel passed the bill on Oct. 26. "Other times, they have resulted in ethical lapses by appointees, regardless of party, regardless of ideology. And sometimes they didn't realize they were unaware of the ethical standards now required by federal law."

The 1963 law provides federal funds to ensure a smooth transition between incoming and outgoing presidents. The law is designed to help incoming presidents settle into their new role, while helping outgoing presidents and vice presidents make the transition into private life.

The bill specifically would amend the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 to help key administration officials quickly familiarize themselves with their new responsibilities and surroundings. It would authorize the use of those transition funds for a formal orientation process for incoming Cabinet members and other senior appointees.

Horn said the bill would encourage the orientations to take place during a period that would begin with the general election, and end 30 days after the new president's inauguration.

"By establishing this time frame for top appointee orientations, the bill would increase the likelihood that a greater number of lower-level appointees might also receive White House orientations earlier in the new administration," Horn said.